Completed: #8. Use my 3Doodler

I had as Amber-esque a "bachelorette" as it gets, which consists of my little sister planning and driving, my mom cooking, my older sister bundling up her little ones, and two good friends bringing love and laughs as we all gather together in a mansion of a cottage with rescue animals on site. We made a lot of crafts.

My little sister taught me how to make my first dreamcatcher. Here it is:

I loved the process and want to get better at them. However, I am on a big buy-nothing-except-essentials-and-experiences kick, so I scavenged my studio upon arriving home for any hoops I could repurpose. It was to no avail.

During the search, I also stumbled upon my old boxed 3Doodler (coincidentally a gift from the same sister) and figured this would be a perfect opportunity to learn to use it. As the hoops will be covered in the dreamcatcher anyway, they do not need to be artistic yet -- just functional (and it's a good thing).

I traced out circular shapes on parchment paper, and tried all three types of plastic: PLA, FLEXY, ABS. PLA is best for the environment, so I started there. I couldn't figure it out. That is the disasterous pile at the left of the photo below. I'll endeavour again once I get more skilled. All videos tell me that the 3Doodler has a steep learning curve.

I moved on to FLEXY and made a small and medium-sized hoop. They were easy. I moved on to ABS and made a slightly larger hoop. 

FLEXY was by far the most user-friendly.

Someday I want to make something pretty, but at least this got me using the pen for now.

Now off to make another dreamcatcher before I forget how!

Original goal list posted here

Progress: #37. Plant berries or fruit trees

TreeMobile just opened for orders and I decided to purchase red grapes, raspberries and strawberries to be delivered to, and planted in, my backyard this April. Get ready for lots of jam. (Also, if you live in Toronto or Guelph, you need to check out this wonderful organization. Quickly. While supplies last.)

Original goal list posted here

Progress #5. Go greener

I killed my aloe plant. I didn't realize none of the water seemed to be evaporating or draining in the cold, so giving a little water bi/weekly was too much and I didn't realize until the spikes started getting soft at the base and drooping over.

I'm sorry, little guy, and I won't let your life be in vain. I have turned you into conditioner. I scooped out the aloe and mixed it with melted coconut oil. I'll give it a go tomorrow.

I made six jars of soy milk with the last of my soybeans in my SoyaBella. I have tried to make use of my leftover ground soy beans through a few dehydrator concoctions: crackers, plain dehydrated bean paste to rehydrate for stews and soups. However, nothing has worked palatably besides... cookies. Yep. I mix them with oatmeal and/or gluten-free flour, ground flax, soy milk/water, organic cane sugar/maple syrup, cinnamon, and nutmeg. I set to the highest setting for about 12 hours, turning halfway through. They are ugly, but tasty -- especially when warm. I can't say the same of anything else I've tried to make with ground soy beans. Blech.

Lastly, I roasted 2 pounds of Ethiopian Harrar beans. For awhile, I was selling small samples to friends -- mostly because I wanted people to taste artisanal coffee that was lovingly roasted. However, I think people are just content to love bad coffee instead. Not me, man. I've been trying to live off a big gross bag of dark roast Starbucks beans that I got in a Bunz trade and I'm losing my mind. 

These ones are all for me (unless I decide to take some for my pre-wedding lady party weekend. Coincidentally, these are my fellow ladies with coffee tastes of niche and delicacy. Hm.) I just need these beans to have their due appreciation.

I've been trying to replicate my favourite Ethiopian roast from De Mello Palheta, because their roasts are seasonal and I don't want to be without a suitable replacement. I read that Harrar has a reputation for having the strongest blueberry tasting notes. Here's hoping.

(PS: This saved dill pickle jar, washed thrice, is the perfect fit for 1lb of roasted beans.)

Original goal list posted here

Progress #5. Go greener

I started my seedlings today!

I planted the cucumber plants in soil, but all the tomatoes in saved coffee grounds, because I have read they will sprout just as easily in either/or. 

The pots are biodegradable imitation peat moss (as actual peat moss harvesting is not very sustainable). These ones are supposed to be more environmentally-friendly.

The cucumber, beefsteak tomato, and cherry tomato have been seed-saved from previous plants. Last year was not a great year for my tomatoes (though I hear that this was quite a universal woe in my area), so I decided to branch out with a couple more types: the purple Cherokee and Genovese are heirloom seeds I purchased from Toronto Urban Harvest via Fresh City Farms.

The cucumbers are so finicky at transplantation and didn't grow too well with last year's influx of yellow beetles, so I'm only sprouting four, which may yield 1 or 2 transplants. We'll see how it goes. 

Fingers crossed!

Tomatoes and cucumbers are the only types of food plants I need to pre-sprout. This year, I will also be planting the following straight in the ground: small pie pumpkins (but less than last year's inaugural test, oops), zucchini (so excited for more delicious homemade relish), carrots, potatoes, ground cherries. Every year, it seems, I test something new, and phase something out. With the exception of ground cherries, which will be a first, these are all my longstanding favourites.

I may always have to buy carrot seeds, but I look forward to otherwise continuing to create a self-sustaining food garden through seed-saving. This was once a goal I listed here, years back - "grow my own food" - and so I turned the unused gardens of my Toronto rentals into a source of nourishment and gift and trade. It is easily one of the great highlights of my year and life.


(BTW, I kill every houseplant I've ever had -- so you, too, can have a productive veggie garden. I swear.)

Original goal list posted here

Progress #5. go greener

I've been roasting a lot of green Ethiopian coffee beans these days, which saves on the woes of packaging, as roasted beans are often stored in foil and plastic unrecyclable bags to preserve freshness, while green beans can be stored and shipped in single paper recyclable bags. I'm trying to find my perfect bean, so that I can buy in large industrial bulk in green, which should help preserve even more in packaging. Also, every time I think I'm learned about coffee, I pick up new knowledge through research, which is a fortunate byproduct.

I store all the beans in washed jars saved from sauces or pickles.

(Also, by the way, I currently roast exclusively in an old popcorn popper from my childhood, so that is the best repurpose endeavour in the world. Trust me.)

The above roast is my favourite thus far: An Ethiopian Limmu from the Burka Gudina Estate, light-medium roast, natural process.

I make my coffee exclusively by pour over and, though the filters are biodegradable, they are still waste. I bought these "Coffee Socks", which are reusuable cotton. I used them for the first time today, and they make a really clean cup.

I think sometimes what people don't realize with "eco" living, is that it actually saves money over time -- what is disposable in and of itself seems cheap, but you quickly earn back your money if you can use something repeatedly, indefinitely.

I think I will save the coffee grinds to sprout my saved tomato seeds for garden seedlings, as experimentation says that tomato seeds will sprout as well in coffee grounds as in soil.

Speaking of seed-saving, the tomato plants from the first cherry seeds I saved in my Aerogarden are flowering, which means it will be time soon for delicious homemade salsa. It's a constant cycle of reuse!

Lastly, I am obsessed with my dehydrator. I can make the greatest crackers from saved almond pulp and flax. 

I currently have two trays devoted to drying out fresh herbs.

The last tray is currently host to something new: Fruit roll-ups of yellow plum jam and applesauce (of which I obviously saved the jar -- good large size for 1 lb of coffee beans). I don't usually line with parchment paper, but it is advisable here for the ease of cutting and rolling.

Original goal list posted here

Progress: #1. Propose a written text for publication

This is a carry over from my last 3 year set, because I was waiting for authentic motivation. It's taken some up close arts & crafts, some ASD advocacy, some self-reflection and some Writer's Craft inspiration, but I'm going to give it a go. I am going to create my graphic novel memoir.

First, I pulled out all my graphic novels and set them in piles according to publishers. I noted authors and drew up some notes of similarities between their work and my own.

Next, I researched graphic novel publishers and submission specifications -- including some publishers of some of my favourites, and some smaller scale publishers. I also wrote down a list of individual authors to contact directly, and found at least 7 accessible email addresses.

Subsequently, I went through old photo boxes for sources and pulled them, too, along with any old interesting works or writings from various ages.

I tested all my pens and inks.

I pulled out my old bubble and frame templates, some papers, and some old comics of mine for potential use or inspiration.

I noted down a basic outline and - friends, I'm ready to go. It looks as though for most submission requirements, I'll need 5-20 inked and complete pages, a cover mockup, proposed length, and a synopsis, so I'm going to accomplish those things before any further contact work.

The best thing about this sort of work is that I can carry it with me whenever I'm out, should the time or desire strike.

I'm glad to feel I have a focus.



Original goal list posted here

Progress: #15. Read and write more poetry

I dream of late of poetry, so I took it as a sign.

"so live and remember

burn as if you were an ember 

capable of starting fires

like each moment inspires the next

like memories are the context we put ourselves in

and life is the next of kin we need to notify 

in case of a big bang or extinction level event

let now be our advent

let us live like we meant it 

burn like we mean it

because this world doesn't give a shit 

if we end in a train wreck or a car crash

if your story ends with a dot or dash if you were dust or ash

because all we were is all we’ll be

because all we are is the in-between of so far so good

so forget every would could should not

forget remembering how we forgot

live like a plot twist exists now and in memory

because we burned clear and bright

our light leaves scars on the sun

let no one say we will be undone by time's passing

the memories we are amassing will stand as testament

that somehow we bent minds around the concept

that we see others in ourselves

that self-knowledge can't be found on bookshelves

because who we are has no bearing on how we appear

so look directly into every mirror

realize our reflection is the first sentence of a story

and our story starts

we were here."

- Shane Koyczan, "Remember How We Forgot"

Original goal list posted here